encounter. the new clue to help solve an apparent abduction attempt >> and the make over for san francisco's great highway. we'll show you what's changing. good evening. it's wednesday, january 16th, i'm gasia mikaelian. this is bay area news at seven. president barack obama today responded to the sandy hook school shooting with a sweeping plan to overhaul america's gun laws. it's our top story at 7. emily schmidt has more. >> reporter: when 20 children died in the newtown elementary school shooting, president obama said if there's one thing we can do to prevent this, we have to try. wednesday, backed by children who wrote him letters calling for change, he outlined 23 executive orders. he's implementing them right now without need of congressional approval. >> and we can't put this off any longer. >> reporter: they include providing incentives for schools to hire school resource

officers, and reviewing safety standards for gun locks and saves. he say that's just a start. >> to make a real and lasts difference, congress, too, must act. >> reporter: just three congressional actions, a universal background check for every gun sale. getting tough on people who buy guns intending to sell them to  criminals and banning military- style assault weapons like the one used in newtown, as well as ammunition magazines that hold more than 10 rounds. if congress won't do it, he says, ask why not. >> what's more important? doing whatever it takes to get a -- an a grade from the gun lobby that funds their campaigns, or giving parents some peace of mind when they drop their child off for first grade. >> reporter: late yesterday, the n.r.a. released this internet ad, calling the president an elitist hypocrite, since his kids have armed guards at their school. the n.r.a. says it's added 250,000 new members in the past month.

the group promises a very expensive and hard-fought fight. in washington, emily schmidt, k.t.v.u., channel 2 news. other executive orders issued by the president deal with mental health, including making sure doctors know they can ask patients about guns in their homes. clarifying medicaid's mental health service provisions, and telling healthcare providers they can report threats of violence. gun control is a divisive issue. we asked people in martinez and pleasant hill what they thought of the president's plan. some were at the martinez gun club. others in downtown pleasant hill. some were gun owners, some were not. now remember, this an unscientific sampling of opinion. >> i think most of what he says is probably right. i think that the ban on the magazines greater than 10 is just fine. >> it almost wouldn't even be so bad to see a -- like a mental health like checkup, one time you saw a psychiatrist something to see if you were fit. >> everyone we talked with

agrees that gun buyers should go through background checks and it's challenging to keep guns away from the mentally ill. k.t.v.u. viewers are weighing in on the president's announcement. irene rivela says it's a good message from our the president. now let's put it into action. james smith says quote these laws are all fine and dandy, but won't make the crazy people less crazy, or the violent less violent. so, what do you think? join the conversation by liking us at ktvu channel 2 news on facebook. a vigil is being held this hour for a central valley police officer killed in the line of duty. kevin tong was shot yesterday after responding to a burglary call in the city of gulf. today, new details about that incident. the sacramento count sheriff's department says it turns out the gunman suspected of killing offer tan was not a burglary suspect. instead, they just happened to cross paths. 30-year-old humphrey kenneth gas economy of galt took his own life after shooting the officer. investigators say the reported

burglary suspect was later identified as a relative of the property owner. a funeral service is under way for an innocent bystander who died in a new year's day crash in san francisco. 26-year-old francisco gutierrez was killed while walking outside a liquor store on van nuys avenue. police say a speeder caused the crash while speeding away from officers. another bystander was also killed. he was in a car held by the suspect. san jose police have released the sketch of a man who has a neighborhood on alert after he tried to snatch a child from her mother's arms. police say the three-year-old was playing with other children when the man approached and comment ed on how she looked. feeling uncomfortable, the mother picked up the girl, but the man tried to pull the toddler from her arms. >> when he knelt down, he grabbed my daughter by her feet. we were tugging at each other.

and her bottoms were falling off, and then eventually, her boots fell off, and that's when the struggle ended. i ran inside my house and called the police. >> here is a sketch released by police. the man is described as latino, in his 20s wearing a red baseball hat, blue genes and a light colored shirt with yellow stripes. the mother says he smelled like motor oil. also in san jose, police are looking for leads into the city's first homicide of the year. today we heard from the victim's widow. >> it is very hard for me, because i have a daughter, a five-year-old. and she's -- she's asking for him. and i don't have answers. >> 34-year-old ivan segura was found shot to death on january 6th outside of his home on eee avenue. investigators don't believe the shooting is gang related but say they've exhausted their leads and they hope someone can come forward with new information. the oakland museum of california has released a photo of a treasured item that was stole then month.

look, the museum sent this picture of the gold box from the 1870s. the inside of the id features images of california. remember we first told you about this last week. the box is part of a gold rush exhibit . officials suspect the suspect that stole it also broke into the museum last november and stole other gold items. the museum is offering a $12,000 reward for the return of that box. the attorney for a san rafael teenager says his client can't get a fair trial in marin because of media coverage. max wade is awaiting trial for shooting at a teenage couple and stealing a celebrity chef's lamborghini. wade's attorney is arguing that he can't get an impartial jury and wants the trial moved elsewhere. new at 7, a major make-over for san francisco's great highway. construction begins this week. live in the city with the repaving and landscaping project and how will it change. jana.

>> reporter: gasia, right now there really aren't any bicycle lanes, no greenery on the great highway, just a massive slab of concrete that goes along ocean beach. city officials say come next year, this will look very different. it's the western edge of san francisco, where tourists and locals come to see ocean beach. and city officials say now the great halfway running along the spectacular sea scape will get a make over, with a street scape project. >> better amenities for pedestrians, for bicycle eu69s, maybe street furniture, more landscaping. >> reporter: construction screws began staging heavy equipment today for the repaving and road improvement project. it's the first of some 100 projects to be done around the city, thanks to voters passing a 248 million dollar bond in 2011. the project will also create bike lanes from point lobos by the cliff house down to golden gate park. a dangerous stretch of road which right now has no shoulder, forcing cyclists to

contend with blind curves 0r use the sidewalk. >> i would pick the sidewalk every time. i'm not taking this road. >> reporter: crews will alice install 15 food wide medians which could improve safety. >> it will give a stopping point for pedestrians and bicyclists. a lot of people run across or ride quickly across the great highway. probably not that safe when cars are in four directions assuming by. >> obviously it will be a little half for people who live in the area but once it's said and done, i think it will be great. >> reporter: the streets department plans to work around events such as the san francisco marathon and have no more than one lane closed at any time. if all goes well, they hope to have this project completed by october of this year. reporting live in san francisco, ktvu, channel 2 news. the organizers of the mavericks big wave surf competition say it's on. they plan to hold the world class surf competition in sunday. the surf was low today at pillar point on the coast, but

the waves are expected to grow into monsters by this weekend. fed by a pacific storm and a strong swell. jeff clark, the mav vicks invitational contest director says conditions are near perfect. >> might be 68 degrees on the beach out here. in the middle of january. and we're going to have ways upwards of 30, 35 feet. >> the last competition was held in 2010, and our ktvu cameras were rolling that year as that big wave swept through the crowd of spectators. this year those crowds will be kept off the beach. bay area home prices are on the rise. prices climbed last month at the fastest clip in more than 20 years. according to the real estate tracking firm, bay area home prices were up 32% in december from the same period in 2011. the median sales price in the nine county region was almost 443,000. there were more than 7800 homes sold during the month. up 5% from a year earlier. golden sacks and morgan

stanley have agreed to pay huge settlements over complaints they wrongfully foreclosed on homeowners who should have been allowed to stay in their homes. the banks are paying a combined $557 million. according to the federal reserve the settlements compensate americans whose homes were seized because of abuses such as robo signing, when banks automatically sign off on foreclosures without properly reviewing documents. on wall treat the do you lost 23 points. a four% bounce from apple helped lift the nasdaq. as we head into another chilly night, california citrus growers are assessing the damage done by the recent cold temperatures. so far the growers say they've seen little crop damage despite at least six straight nights of very cold weather. the damage they have seen is primarily to the mandarin crop. according to the citrus association, growers have spent $28 million in frost protection measures during the week long cold spell. it was only last week san jose airport was celebrating its brand new asian service.

today, that service is completely up in the air. >> new fears of caller confusion. the plan to add a new area code, and break up the 415. >> temperatures continue to recover across most of the bay area. coming up, the neighborhoods still on the chilly side in the upper 20s tomorrow morning. and when rain resurfaces in the five-day forecast. well, well, well. growing up, we didn't have u-verse. we couldn't record four shows at the same time. in my day, you were lucky if you could record two shows. and if mom was recording her dumb show

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several boats remain docked at pete's harbor in redwood city. the molina's owner gave tenants additional times to make arrangements to leave. one resident told us today she is waiting for parts to fix her boat. other residents say they have the same trouble or cannot find a dock to move to. an appeal to the eviction is scheduled for january 28th,

before the redwood city city council. word is that interior secretary ken salazar is the latest cabinet member to resign from the obama administration. sources say that salazar told the president he'll be leaving the job at the end of march. the 57-year-old former u.s. senator from colorado plans to return to his ranch to spend time with his family. the f.a.a. today ordered 787 dream liner service to be halted in the united states, after japanese airlines grounded their planes. consumer editor reports, the fallout is being felt at san jose airport. the only bay airport with 787 service. >> reporter: following japan's lead earlier today, the f.a.a. is formally grounding all u.s. 787 dream liners. that's because an a.n.a. domestic flight made an emergency landing when the crew got an indication of battery problems and smelled smoke. inspectors found the sophisticated lithium battery system partially burnt. another dream liner had a battery fire last week in boston. that, says former u.s.

transportation department inspector general, is completely unacceptable. >> the ion batteries with the lithium batteries, it's a very serious problem. one you could call it an aberration but at two you have a real worry of a fire. >> reporter: for san jose airport, a black eye for its renewed asian service. for a.n.a., it's creating chaos in its scheduling. and for its passengers, incredible inconvenience. san jose airport is talking with a.n.a. to resume service here with a similar size but more proven airline. >> i would be finding a way to get that battery out of there and get it replaced with something they've used in air kraft for years and years. >> reporter: in just this month, the 50 or so dream liners service have racked up a pack of problems. in addition to the two major battery problems, a major fuel leak, an engine oil leak, and a cracked windshield in flight. >> the grounding by a.n.a. and j.a.l. of the 787 is the right thing to do at this time. >> reporter: carriers and

boeing will now have to prove the battery systems are safe before resuming flight. tom bacar, ktvu channel 2 news. british authorities are surprised that more people were not killed in a deadly helicopter crash on a crowded london street. the pilot and one person on the ground were killed and 13 others were injured. the private helicopter crashed into a construction crane before falling to the street, sending flames and you see here, thick smoke into the air during the morning commute. it caused panic and chaos. some people thought it was a terror attack. authorities are investigating whether the crane's warning lights were on. a new department of motor vehicle has reported saying unlicensed drivers are the most dangerous motorists on the road. according to the d.m.v., drivers without a valid license are nearly three times more likely to cause a deadly crash. the drivers include those with revoked or suspended licenses, and unlicensed drivers. this is the d.m.v.'s first significant analysis of a unlicensed drivers in 15 years. notre dame's all american linebacker is at the very center of an elaborate hoax by

an inspirational girlfriend who never existed. manti teo never met the woman. they only communicated online and by telephone. she was told she died from leukemia. he credited the woman with inspiring him to lead the fighting irish to the b.c.s. title game. turns out she was reportedly an online persona created by a friend of te'o's who is a pastor at a church's in palmdale. the hoax is being investigated. governor jerry brown spoke to the u.c. region about how expanding online education could open up a world of opportunities to traditionally under served communities. >> for millions life chances are very different and they don't lead to getting to a post dock program. i mean people worry about, you know, getting foot on the table, worrying about gun fire, or outside the house. >> the governor's proposed new budget includes about 37 million dollars for california's public colleges, to develop online courses.

veteran stage, film and television actor conrad bain is being remembered as a quick study who could play any role. >> kids. we have a guest. [ laughter ] >> this is my harmonious family. my daughter kimberly, my sons willis and arnold. >> he played the father mr. drummond on the sitcom different strokes. his daughter says he died monday of natural causes at his home in livermore. he was 89. looks like it may be time to break up the 415. one of the bay area's widest used area codes is running out of available numbers. rob ross looks at two possible solutions, and the three-digit code you may soon be using. [ phone ringing ] >> reporter: if dispatch center in san francisco gets hundreds of calls each day if not more, so the possibility of having to change its 415 area code to 628 is not a popular one. >> oh, no. i'm scared to death of that.

>> reporter: the california public utilities commission began holding meetings today about adding a 628 area code, a change that would affect san francisco and likely marin county. the problem says the c.u.p.c., is that all available prefixes in the 415 area code zone will be used up in about two and a half years. >> and when we run out of prefixes we have to assign another area code. so we'll have more prefixes. >> reporter: and the c.p.u.c. says there are two ways to implement it. one possibility would be splitting san francisco in half, the east side would get one area code, the west side of this city and marin the other. at this trident restaurant in sausalito, the owner would prefer to keep the current 415 number. it's easier. >> cause people to change all their printing and all their ads. >> our customers have been calling us for generations on the same phone number. >> reporter: the other option is called overlay. that's where new phone numbers would be assigned a new area code, but that, too, has draw backs. >> every single customer that

has a 415 number will have to dial the area code and the line number. >> reporter: the c.p.u.c. is scheduled to hold two hearings tomorrow in san rafael. a final decision could come sometime later this year. in san francisco. today is the day sharks fans have been waiting for. game tickets are finally on sale. ticket windows opened at 10 a.m., and fans started lining up hours before that. the first home game of the shark tank is a week from tomorrow. they open the lockout-shortened season sunday in calgary against the flames. with the lunar new year fast approaching, there is a new way to commemorate it. coming up, one festive design that will be a sure hit with stamp collectors. you probably noticed less of a chill in the air today. mark tells us how much warmer it will get by the weekend. >> and if you're on the go for away from your television watch

ktvu newscast live on your computer, smart phone or tablet. get the app or go to ktvu.com. [ crickets chirping ] [ traffic passing ] ♪ [ music box: lullaby ] [ man on tv, indistinct ] ♪ [ lullaby continues ] [ baby coos ]

[ man announcing ] millions are still exposed to the dangers... of secondhand smoke... and some of them can't do anything about it. ♪ [ continues ] [ gasping ]

san francisco officials teamed up with the postal service today to release the 2013 lunar new year stamp. the red white and blue forever stamp was unveiled at san francisco city hall.

it features firecrackers and a snake in honor of the year of the snake which begins february 10th. this is the first time san francisco has served as the release site for the lunar new year stamp. mark is here to talk about a slight bump in temperatures today. >> especially by the weekend. lots of sunshine. we will be talking about more 60s heading into friday, saturday and sunday, even for tomorrow, a few neighborhoods into the lower 60s. right now we can show you this on a live storm tracker 2. mostly clear skies, and basically the storm trashing, way up to the north of -- track way up to the north of the bay area. clear skies but pretty cold numbers for this 7:00 hour. temperatures still chilly overnight. in fact you can see 30s towards fairfield already. livermore 41 degrees. downtown san francisco, 52 and mountain view 49. the key here, it is still cold but not as cold as it has been over the past few mornings, but still we could be talking about a few upper 20s, and a few neighborhoods first thing thursday.

for tonight, mostly clear and cold as we mentioned. tomorrow, some morning frost, hazy sunshine into the afternoon hours. the weekend, it does feature a dry weather pattern with some patchy morning fog. here is a look at the cold numbers. first thing thursday morning, temperatures starting out the day in the upper 20s to the lower 30s, towards santa rosa, napa. fairfield at 29, oak land 38 and san jose start ought in the morning 36 degrees. here we are most areas in the 30s and 40s but a few upper 20s. a nice recovery into the afternoon after mostly sunny skies. the blue contour in the 50s, green contour in the 60s. minor warms as high pressure continuing to strength then the pacific and that will guarantee us a dry weather pattern right on through the weekend. maybe toward the end of the month, we could be talking about shower chances, but still it's way out there, basically the next few days. patchy morning fog, hazy sunshine, and a few more 60s to talk about. of course the surf building into the weekend, you've already heard about the

maverick surf contest officially announced for sunday. the projection into saturday and sunday, could easily be approaching 15 to 20 feet but closer to the tournament, they could top 30 feet heading into sunday morning. temperatures for tomorrow, upper 50s to lower 60s for afternoon highs. san jose will go 63, san mateo 61, and livermore will go with 60. your five-day forecast. the weekend always in view, it will be a dry one with temperatures gradually warming up for saturday and sunday. gasia. >> thank you, mark. a witness to an unusual accident pulled an elderly woman from her sinking s.u.v. after she crashed the vehicle into a pool. police say 69-year-old pamela quinn failed to make a turn while driving on the highway. she plowed through an iron fence and you see here, landed in the pool. that's when a 57-year-old man came to the rescue. police say he grabbed the s.u.v. by its roof rack, pulled it to the side broke out a window and rescued her. she is expected to be fine. >> thank you for trusting ktvu

channel 2 news. see you the next time news breaks. i'm gasia mikaelian. coverage continues at 10:00. tonight a bay area artist collaborating with colin kaepernick on a clothing line and a new tattoo.